ASU students learn value of Israel
JENNIFER GOLDBERG
Staff Writer
On a campus notorious for its lack of political activism, Rabbi Barton Lee of the Hillel Jewish Student Center at Arizona State University says there is still a strong and growing interest in Israel.
"ASU is a campus not known for its political vibrancy and involvement, and there are a lot of kids who don't know very much," he comments. "But when you start talking with them and working with them, they're very open to learning about Israel. And the more they learn, the more they tend to be supportive."
After more than 25 years of service at Hillel at ASU, Lee says he has seen an increase in awareness and interest in Israel among local college-age students.
"My sense is that in recent years, students care more about Israel, particularly because many of them are now going to Israel on birthright israel trips, and once they're there - once they see - they come back with open eyes and great passion."
Rabbi Shmuel Tiechtel of Chabad at ASU says he sees all levels of interest in Israel among the students he interacts with, from students with no real interest in Israel to others with a high level of commitment to Israel advocacy.
Lee states, "I would say that one difference between ASU and Berkeley or Michigan is that the general campus community seems to be more friendly toward Israel ... There is a great deal of very hospitable sentiment toward Israel on our campus, certainly among Jews, but also well beyond Jews."
To facilitate and increase pro-Israel sentiment on campus, Hillel holds a wide variety of Israel-themed events each semester including film screenings, Israel festivals on campus and political speakers.
A highlight of last semester was a March 10 visit from Caravan for Democracy, an organization that fosters dialogue about the Middle East on U.S. campuses by featuring different speakers from Israel. Knesset member Ephraim Sneh offered a lecture at ASU's Murdock Hall discussing issues regarding Israel's defense and its relationship with the Palestinians.
Lee estimates that 75-100 people attended Sneh's lecture. "It was timed a week before spring break, when a lot of people are already leaving, but for ASU, it was a good house."
Chabad at ASU also fosters Israeli awareness and pro-Israel sentiment. In February, Tiechtel and his wife Chana hosted Israel Night, an event that included Israeli food, music, dancing and a talk with an Israeli soldier. Tiechtel reports that approximately 50 students attended.
Still, Lee sees ignorance as the greatest threat to Israel activism on campus.
"What I'm sensing is that there is a tremendous segment of the Jewish community that really don't know a great deal about Israel.
"The greatest challenge is the masses of students who don't know anything about the Middle East, and if you read The Arizona Republic or watch the evening news, you can't possibly know anything about the Middle East. The great challenge is to present the picture in its complexity, and Israel's difficulties. It's getting the word out to people."
Tiechtel agrees, saying that once young adults begin to learn about and understand Israel, they begin to care.
Contact writer at jennifer_goldberg@jewishaz.com.
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